Welcome to One Thing Better. Each week, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine (that's me) shares one way to achieve a breakthrough at work — and build a career or company you love.
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For my final newsletter of 2025, I'm breaking format. I'll share a stinky personal story, and a quick thought to carry us into next year. Here we go...
Something momentous and strange happened to me this year:
I wiped my last butt. But I have no idea when it happened.
I have two kids, ages 10 and 6. This means that, for the past decade, I have been wiping at least one of their butts every day — all while waiting and longing for the time when they can do it themselves.
Then it happened: The final butt wipe. But I didn't know at the time. Instead, I just wiped my younger's son's butt like usual one day, and then… he didn't ask again. Days, weeks, perhaps even months passed before I realized: Hey, wait, I have graduated into a new phase of life.
This got me thinking: Life's most important moments do not always announce themselves.
Some of them do, of course: There is an event, an award, a moment to remember.
But most appear ordinary at the time. They're only significant in retrospect.
- It is the small decision we make, unaware of its larger consequences.
- It is the last time we see someone, unaware it will be the last time.
- It is the victory that seems so small, we don't pause to celebrate it — unaware of the new path it set us down.
I'm sure 2025 was full of these for us both. Moments we haven't even recognized yet. Moments we may never remember. And yet, they mattered.
What are we to do about this? The cliché answer would be: Pause to appreciate every moment. But let's be realistic. I was not going to pause and appreciate every time I wiped my kids' butts.
Sure, it would have been nice if we marked that final wipe. But realistically, how? My 6-year-old was not going to look up at me from the toilet and say, "Dad, I appreciate all you've done to manage my personal hygiene. I'll take it from here."
That's not how life works.
And this is not even necessarily a problem to be solved.
Instead, I just think it's a reality to be recognized:
We spend a lot of time wanting things. Chasing things. Desiring things. Imagining how much life will be better when we finally, finally, finally have those things.
But also, sometimes, we already have them. We got them a while ago, and we didn't even notice, because there was no clear transition between Then and Now.
A year is an arbitrary marker in time. But it's also a nice opportunity to step back, remember where we were 12 months ago, and appreciate the growth that followed. It came in all those little moments — the ones too small to even recognize at the time, but that have added up to something big and notable and worth appreciating today.
This should feel like a kind of proof: When you worry that you aren't progressing fast enough, you can look back in time and see that, yes, you did grow. Yes, you did change. Yes, your efforts did lead to something.
And yes, there is still so much left to accomplish and appreciate... even if it's hard to recognize in the moment.
But the victory is still there, ever growing.
That's how to do one thing better.
Thank you for spending 2025 with me. We have so much to do in 2026.
Readers Share Their 2026 Themes!
Last week, I shared my concept of a year-long theme. Then I invited readers to share their themes with me.
I got so many of them! If you submitted one, thank you so much.
Below, I'll share 10. I hope they get you thinking about what your theme could be — and help you make 2026 a year of intentional growth.
Here we go...
- The Year of Finishing Things I Started. Lidia says: "I have so many creative ideas, and often will start something but stop due to fear, uncertainty, or lack of time. I want to finally take a few of those projects over the finish line in 2026, even if they are not perfect!"
- The Year of More Fulfilling Work. Mary Jane says: "I have a full time marketing job but I'm really pushing myself to do freelance marketing in the space of artists & makers."
- The Year of Going to Market With My Personal Projects. Daniel says: "I'm very creative, love building, but tend not to share my work beyond a friendly network. It's a huge disservice and I'm keen to change that."
- The Year of Prioritizing Living Healthy. Daryl says: "I have lots to balance — work, marriage, kids, hobbies. I want this year to be focused on incorporating practices in my life that will help me live happier, healthier, and longer."
- The Year of Career Reinvention. CAD says: "I have felt stuck and misaligned at work for a few years. I'm craving purpose, creativity, freedom and flexibility."
- The Year of Self-Permission to Authentically Take Up Space. Becki says: "I chose this theme to support holding firm boundaries without guilt, shifting from a scarcity mindset to an abundant one, and trusting that I'm worthy of success — personally and professionally."
- The Year of Using Time Wisely. Elisa says: "I spend too much time scrolling on my phone or watching reruns of Big Bang Theory and not putting my free time to good use. I want to write my book. I have people to see, things to learn, and my business to grow. No time to waste!"
- The Year of Taking More Risks. FG says: "Fear of uncertainty keeps me from fully committing or completing projects. I need to let go of fear and take more risks — and that means trusting and believing in myself more, and choosing forward momentum over hesitation or self-editing."
- The Year of Creating More Fun. Alex says: "I've been so focused and measuring success in financial terms that I have forgotten that the entire point of all of this was so that I could have the most fun in my life."
- The Year of All New Things. Barbara says: "I sense a need for newness in many areas this new year. New focus, new spaces, new people, new opportunities, new pursuits."
I'm struck by how many people want to do more, but recognize ways in which they're held back. That strikes me as an opportunity to help. Let's work on that in 2026!
Again, thanks to everyone who shared. Next year can be whatever you want it to be — but it's up to YOU to make it happen. That starts now.
Free branding advice from one of the world's best!
Great products fail because packaging isn't clear.
If shoppers don't instantly understand why your product is for them, they move on.
So... are you being clear enough?
On January 15, I'll help you get that clarity — with my free packaging gut-check call with Emily Heyward of Red Antler (who branded Supergoop!, Allbirds, and Casper).
We will…
- Review YOUR packaging, if you want! (Just submit)
- Review other founders' packaging, live!
- Share what it takes to drive sales
👉 Register free here
Can't make it live? We'll send the recording. Just make sure to register.
Final notes for today...
P.S. Is having a "work wife" crossing a line? I don't think so. My work wife and I discuss! Listen here.
P.P.S.Send this newsletter to someone who needs it! Forward to them, or just send this link to today's edition.
That's all for this week! See you next Tuesday.
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